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How to find and use unusual genealogy sources to research your ancestors. Jumpstart your research using uncommon records you may have missed.
In a previous post, I shared one of my children’s favorite television shows when they were little – the Disney Channel’s show Out of the Box. We all loved that show! (I still have the theme song in my head.) Encouraged to use their imaginations, my children were soon using everyday objects to create castles and boats and forts and tea parties…..you get the idea. My children were thinking outside of the box when it came to their play.
Now don’t worry. We are not going to be researching imaginary ancestors or record sets!
But….
We are going to think “outside of the genealogy box” and consider unusual genealogy sources to find our ancestors. Let’s think beyond the standard genealogy research of census records, birth records, marriage records, etc.
Finding and using those “out of the box” genealogy sources will benefit your genealogy research. Don’t limit your success by only researching the traditional genealogy records.
Below I am sharing unusual or “out of the box” genealogy sources that can be used in your genealogy research.
Tips before we get started:
- Get to know your ancestor well – I mean very well! – in the traditional genealogy records. Were they in the military? Do you know their occupation? Who was important to them? Who appeared alongside them in the records? Having a good understanding of your ancestor in traditional records will help you recognize your ancestor in the more unusual record sets.
- When you find an “out of the box” record set, educate yourself on that unique and/or unusual record sets by reading the “About” sections on records before you begin your research. Find out exactly what a record set contains and how the records are organized. Also, learn about any idiosyncrasies about that particular record set. This will be a huge time saver as you research.
Unusual or “Out of the Box” Genealogy Sources
The large databases such as Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, MyHeritage and FamilySearch all have lots of record sets researchers do not know exist or do not think to check. Find examples below of out of the box sources.
These are not comprehensive lists, but rather lists to get your creative juices flowing as you start to explore unusual genealogy sources for your own ancestors.
One of the places I like to check for unusual records is the recently added records section. A quick check today on Ancestry.com yielded the U.S., Baseball Questionnaires 1945-2005 record collection. I’m thrilled, because I do have baseball players among my ancestors.
Find more unusual sources by searching the card catalog in each of the databases. Search by record type (such as Schools, Directories and Church Histories) and narrow down by your state and county location.
More Unusual Genealogy Source Examples in Ancestry.com
- Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1861-1904 Contracts/cards for headstones provided for Union soldier graves by the government.
- U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939 This record set contains not just troop passenger lists that were transported, but also support personnel (such as nurses) and even family members.
- Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1835-1974 Famous persons, casualties of the Titanic and just “regular folk” can be found here.
- Montana, Prison Records, 1861-1968 Records for Montana prisoners.
- U.S. Military and Naval Academies, Cadet Records and Applications, 1800-1908 Registers, applications, records of conduct and more…..
- U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971 Was your ancestor a postmaster? [I found mine here!]
Examples of “Out of the Box” Genealogy Sources in FindMyPast
- American Bible Society Index Search
- California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1835-1931 91,000 records of individuals buried in the San Francisco area, including those lost in the 1906 earthquake.
- Japanese-American World War II Relocation Files
- Shipwrecked Passengers To America, 1817-1875 – Interesting records!
- Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania, Bethany Children’s Home Indexes
- York County, Pennsylvania, Coroners Papers Index, 1796-1819, 1858-1958
Examples of Unusual Genealogy Sources in State and Local Archives
State and local archives are full of unusual and uncommon genealogy records potentially holding clues to your ancestors. Take time to discover what types of records your state archives has. Check their card catalog and/or talk with an archivist. Don’t forget the online collections!
- Merchant account records – Potential source of a merchant’s customers.
- Cemetery Surveys – Potential source for family cemeteries [I found documented oral histories in these records!]
- Road records – Potential source for placing your ancestor in time and place.
- Records of lunacy – Potential source of individuals declared lunatics.
- School Records – Potential source for children, school teachers and superintendents
- Minutes for the Warden of the Poor – Potential source if your ancestors were poor and required assistance from the county
- Published Family Histories
Examples of Unusual Genealogy Sources Within Your Own Family
Do not overlook possible record sources held within your own family!
- Published family histories – Often these can be found in the local library or on your family’s bookshelf. Use these as clues and verify the information.
- Oral histories from distant cousins. Actively seek them out!
- Oral histories from family members with dementia. Our family members who suffer from the unfortunate diagnosis of dementia can still offer insight into your family history. Read tips and suggestions for interviewing a family member with dementia.
Take time to explore unusual and “out of the box” genealogy sources. When you’ve hit that genealogy brick wall – which we all do! – thinking outside the box can jump start your research.
I have an great uncle, born in Germany, he and his parents immigrated here when John was about 1 or 2 years old. They settled in Cleveland, Ohio. John’s last name from Germany was Czarnetzki. He was always on the census as Czarnecki and later as Carr. John’s parents are Michael Czarnetzki and Mathilda (Wegner) Czarnetzki. In the 1935 Ohio State Census (John was married to a Bertha Ost andthey had one daughter Dolores and a son Robert who died at St. Alexis Hospital in 1929 after a tonsillectomy at the age of 4 or 5. After that John disappears off the grid. Noone ever talked about a John Carr when I was growing up. John had one sister Clara, three brothers Phillip, Leo and Frank. Frank is my grandfather. I found a John Carr on the Ohio State Census of 1935 and the Federal Census of 1940 as an inmate at the Cleveland State Hospital as an inmate. Maybe that is why no one ever talked about John. The only column that was not filled on on both of these was his place of birth which was Germany.
I have tried to find out what happened to John—-was he transferred, did he pass away at the hospital and buried on their grounds – I cannot get to first base withanyone as this was a psychiatric hospital. John Carr in a search bar shows many John Carrs and I have looked as many of them and they are not our John.
Is there a way to find out —-I get this story from everyone “oh they are psychiatric records, only immediate family can ask —-well there is also that 50 year rule also. I worked in medical records in a hospital here in Michigan and know the HIPAA rules etc. HIPAA did not apply back then. Any ideas as to how I can close this brick wall? In searching ran across his granddaughter and we exchanged what information we had – John is also her brick wall.
Would appreciate any help at all. E-mail address above. Thank you so much. Ann (Johnson) Faber, granddaughter of John’s brother Frank J. Car.
Thank you for this article about out of the box research. You posted a link to U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939. For years we’ve been trying to follow up on husband’s great-uncle – family lore that he went to WWI & never came back, but we had no factual info. I clicked on your link, put in his name, and there he was! Now we have a military service number, name of his ship & arrival port, etc. With this info. we can better search military records and hope to find out more about his death in Europe. Thank you!!